A pen and something more
by steubec
Summary: From S3 E9 - Counting Coup. Walt's thoughts about receiving divorce papers to give to Vic and the missing scene that follows. Additional scenes may be added.
1. Chapter 1

**There are several gaps in S3E9 and this attempts to fill one of them. I haven't decided yet whether to make an effort to fill in more of them via additional chapters so for now this is it. Thanks for reading!**

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Walt has often thought of Shaun as being a little immature when it comes to his marriage. Too many times he has seen the man act like a jealous child, treating Vic like she's a toy he doesn't want to share. It's obvious he doesn't like her being a cop and gives no regard to the vital work she does for the county or how well she does it. He certainly doesn't seem concerned with what brings Vic happiness and fulfillment. If he did, he would be more understanding and supportive of her. Instead, Shaun seems resentful of Vic's independence and strength, the very traits that make her who she is.

Walt knows Shaun doesn't care for him much either and he's often shown it in sophomoric ways. Walt first suspected it after he'd unknowingly pulled Vic away from a night off at home with her husband. He'd had Ruby call her to come help him handle a "situation" at the Red Pony. In reality, Walt needed a ride home after drinking too much. They ended up having to respond to a call that had taken most of the rest of the night. When Shaun came looking for his wife just before dawn, his distaste for having been left alone for her to go to work was palpable. Walt knew for sure that Shaun had a problem with him after he helped out on a case that involved Newitt Energy. One of their company vehicles had been caught by a security camera at the scene of a murder. Shaun agreed to help Vic get an appointment to meet with a Newitt executive to ask about the car, but only if Walt was not involved. Walt had gone with Vic to see the guy anyway. It was his job after all. Then there was the confrontation about the photo that Ed Gorski had sent, showing he and Vic in what could be misconstrued as a compromising position. At least that time Shaun was a little more upfront and honest by coming to Walt directly. Still, in Walt's mind Shaun should have talked to his wife about the whole thing first.

Up until today he'd thought Shaun's most juvenile moment had come after the incident at Chance Gilbert's when he told Vic to quit her job. Sure, he may have done it out of concern for her safety but Walt thought there was another reason. There's a good chance that Shaun saw the way Walt looked at Vic as they were leaving the compound. Walt would have noticed if another man had looked at his wife that way and he wouldn't have liked it. Maybe Shaun wanted Vic to quit to keep her away from him. Walt couldn't really blame him for that. Still, a relationship has to have mutual trust or it has nothing. A mature man would have had a discussion with his wife about his concerns and they could have come to a solution together. Instead, Shaun was making decisions for Vic without regard for her thoughts on the matter.

Walt knows he owns some of the blame for that particular act. Facing the prospect of losing someone for whom you care a great deal tends to tear down the deliberately constructed walls you may have built to keep from crossing the lines that shouldn't be crossed. Though he tried not to that night, he knows he was broadcasting the true depth of his feelings for Vic to anyone who was paying attention. Other than the hug at the hospital, Walt has made a point to be nothing but professional with his favorite deputy since then. Even when she told him about Shaun's ultimatum, Walt made sure to mask his gut reaction and toe the line. He wanted nothing more than to tell her all the reasons she should ignore what Shaun said and stay, but he knew Vic needed to be able to make the decision on her own. She had to feel free to leave the department if she thought it was in her best interest and the best interest of her marriage. His attempt at neutrality about the whole thing pissed her off, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

Now Shaun has set him up and all that effort is mute. He's forcing Walt to confront his own thoughts about Vic. More than that he's using him to make a point and bring Vic pain.

Taking advantage of Walt's position and making him be the one to give Vic divorce papers? That has to be one of the most childish things Shaun has done in recent memory. In effect he has stomped his foot, taken his proverbial ball and gone home, leaving Walt to clean up any mess left behind.

This is a distraction Walt doesn't need right now. He's neck deep in new information about Martha's murder and desperate to clear Henry's name regarding Miller Beck. To make matters worse, Branch has been slowly deteriorating since he was shot. He's been missing but suddenly reappeared at the station today ranting once again about seeing David Ridges. When Walt refused to engage that notion until they had talked about Sam Poteet, Branch lost it, attacking Vic for telling Walt about what he had done. When Walt heard he had been released and was out on the loose again, his first thought was of Vic's safety. He had to get to her and see for himself that she was alright. He had to make sure she was protected. But it wasn't as simple as the last time those instincts had kicked in. He could no longer just take her to his cabin to stay until the threat was past. Walt had never felt more unsure about how to proceed as as he had been when he found Vic checking over the car on that bridge. As he scanned the area, watching for any sign that Branch may have come looking for her, he knew he had to speak carefully. He didn't know what Shaun had told her, and it quickly became obvious she didn't know Shaun had started the legal process to end their marriage. How could he do that? How could a man file for divorce and not tell his wife? Walt could maybe understand it if he was gone on yet another of his endless business trips, but even then it would still be a chicken shit move. To be home, sleeping under the same roof, in the same bed, and not say anything? He added passive aggressive to his mental list of Shaun's negative character traits.

Walt was working up the nerve to talk to Vic about the divorce papers when she uncovered Ridges' phone on the seat of the car and work once again took priority. Every moment since then has been filled with the arrest and questioning of Jacob Nighthorse. By the time an agreement was reached and the necessary paperwork completed to send to the DA the day was gone. Walt had almost forgotten about talking to Vic until she started to head out.

"If you hear anything I'll be at home."

Walt couldn't let her leave without giving her the papers. Allowing her to go home and see Shaun without knowing what he had done would be like sending her into the lion's den without a sword. He couldn't do that to her.

"Uh, uh, uh...before you go, uh, I need to talk to you about something."

"Alright."

Walt isn't sure how to bring up the subject.

"Uh, one of the less desirable parts of this job is that uh, we have to deliver legal papers when the county is short of processors."

"Do you want me to serve someone a subpoena on the way home?"

He can tell by the smirk on her face that she has no idea her life is to change.

"No, um...I'm required to give you this...on behalf of the court."

As Walt hands her the envelope she pauses a moment and sighs before sitting and opening it. He carefully watches her face as she starts to read. He's unable to tell what she's thinking, but he can't keep himself from telling her what he's really feeling, or close to it anyway. She was hurt when Walt didn't try to talk her out of leaving the department. Now with Shaun letting Vic off the hook, Walt realizes she still has a decision to make. She's no longer going to be tied to Wyoming by her spouse. She could go anywhere. She's never liked it here anyway. The idea scares him more than he cares to admit. Walt's afraid Vic thinks he doesn't care whether she leaves but the exact opposite is true. He decides she needs to have all the available information in order to make the right decision for herself. That includes knowing where he stands on the subject of her leaving. So, he does his best...to explain why he didn't say anything before...and why he is now. It's a risk, but one he knows he would regret not taking. When he finishes speaking he waits while she keeps her head bowed, pouring over the papers in her hands. It feels like time has stopped when she lifts her face to look up at him. Her jaw is set and she has a determined look in her eyes.

"You got a pen?"

The breath Walt hasn't realized he's been holding rushes out out of his lungs. He feels guilty about being so relieved at her response. He was prepared to comfort her if she needed or let her yell if she needed to do that too. What he hadn't expected was for her to be so calm and resolved. Still, he doesn't want her to take all this too lightly.

"Vic, uh, you know you don't have to do this right now. Maybe you should take some time to sort through things. You could have an attorney look over the papers, make sure they're equitable."

"I don't think that's necessary."

Walt runs his tongue over his teeth, "Okay." Maybe he should try to talk her out of this, encourage her to meet with Shaun, or go to counseling, to see if they can resolve their differences. Truth is, he doesn't want to. He picks up a pen from his desk and walks around to hand it to her, "Are you sure?"

She reaches for the pen, her fingers stretching beyond it to rest on his, and makes eye contact, "I'm sure."

Walt's immediately transported back to the hospital and Vic handing him his coat after Doc had stitched him up. That time he had been the one to reach farther, to touch her in reassurance. Vic looks down and slides her fingers to the pen, taking it from Walt's hand. She holds the divorce papers in her lap and signs them, placing the pen back on Walt's desk when she's finished. She puts the papers back into the envelope and sets it alongside the pen.

She stays seated, staring at the envelope on the desk.

"Do you, uh, want to talk...about any of this?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Walt. This isn't exactly unexpected...Our marriage has been over for a while. We've both been living in denial. Still, we tried to make it work. That's got to count for something, right?"

"Right..."

Walt doesn't know what to say next. His desire for her to stay goes way beyond not wanting to lose a good deputy, but now is not the time to tell her that. Neither of them are in the position to handle that revelation well. Vic needs to be able to go through the divorce process without feeling the pressure to make a decision about another man and he needs to find some peace about Martha's murder before he will be able to fully give himself to Vic the way she deserves. He can hold onto the rest of his feelings...for now anyway. He decides to offer her something else he thinks she may need, if she wants it.

"Vic, do you, uh, need to take some time off?"

"Time off?"

"You know, to adjust. Get used to your new...circumstances."

"Shaun's gone so much I'm already used to being alone. Even when he was home, we weren't exactly spending much time together. He's leaving Wyoming and, according to the papers, there's a three month waiting period after the divorce is finalized before the sale of house is initiated."

"You okay with moving?"

"I can't afford to stay there on my own. Besides, I wouldn't want to even if I could. I'll have plenty of time to pack and find somewhere new to live."

He has to ask, "So, uh, where are you...I'm just wondering, uh, where that might be?"

"I hear California's nice this time of year."

Her comment catches him off guard, "What?"

She stands up, "You really think you can get rid of me that easily, Walt?" She takes a step toward him and puts her hands on her hips, "I thought you wanted me to stay?"

A half smile fills his face as he rubs his hand across his chin before lowering it to prop it on his Colt, "I do."

Vic smiles back at him. He closes his eyes briefly in frustration when phone on his desk starts to ring, "Ruby's gone, I, uh, probably need to get that."

He reaches over to grab the phone, "Sheriff's Department...uh huh...I'll be right there."

Just like that their personal lives have to be put on hold once again. Walt hangs up and quickly moves to get his coat, "That was the fire chief. They just got a call to go out to the Red Pony. I'm going to go check on Henry, make sure he's okay. Can you stay here until the Ferg gets back? I'll call you as soon as I can to let you know what's going on."

"Sure."

Walt is at the door when he turns back to her, "Vic, I'm glad you decided to stay."

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**I'm re-watching episodes (yet again) which is triggering ideas, but work has gotten really busy lately and unfortunately my writing time has taken a hit. I will keep writing when I can! **


	2. Chapter 2

**This missing scene from S3E9 occurs at the station after Walt has gotten the call from Jacob Nighthorse. **

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Vic is pacing from the cell to Walt's office door and back again. She's not very good at sitting and doing nothing on a good day and this has not been a good day. She never should have agreed to stay at the station until Ferg gets back. She should have known better. But, here she is, once again waiting on some man. It's a theme that has monopolized far too much of her life since moving to Wyoming.

The ticking of the clock on the wall alternates with the fall of Vic's footsteps. It's a sound she doesn't typically notice. Tonight it echoes in her ears, seeming to get louder with each lap she takes, mocking her impatience. She should have heard from either Walt or Ferg by now. What could possibly be taking so long? She stops short just as she's making another pass by her desk. She tries to keep the fear that's suddenly rising in her chest suppressed but she can't. What if something's happened to Henry? He's the type of man who wouldn't simply leave a building when a fire starts. He would make sure everyone has made it out safely and then go back in to help more people get out if necessary. While that's a very noble action, it's also the kind of thing that can get someone hurt, or worse. She resumes her pacing, moving more quickly across the floor than she had previously been. No, Henry has to be okay. He doesn't deserve to die in a fire and Walt has already lost too much. To lose Henry could push him past the point of no return. No matter what, she won't let him go down that road.

Vic's had thoughts like that before. This time, however, she doesn't experience the usual stab of guilt to which she's grown accustomed when having them. It serves to confirm she did the right thing by going ahead and signing the divorce papers tonight. No reason to delay the inevitable. Maybe now she and Shaun can both find some peace. Her mind wanders, wondering if maybe she can find something more... She shakes her head. Now is not the right time to go there. There's too much going on to allow that kind of distraction to take over. She needs to stay focused.

It's a relief when Vic finally hears someone on the stairs. She jumps on Ferg the moment he walks in the door, "It's about time you got here."

"I was helping run interference for the fire department."

"Is Henry okay?"

"Yeah, Henry's fine."

"What the hell happened?"

He hesitates for a moment. It still doesn't seem real to him, "Well uh, Henry set fire to the Red Pony."

"You're shittin' me! Why would he do that? He loves that place!"

"Apparently he threatened to burn it down if Malachi refused to tell him where that Darius guy was the night Miller Beck was killed. Malachi wasn't talking, so..."

"Henry threatened to burn down his own bar? And then did it?" Just when she thought the day couldn't get any more bizarre this happens.

"Not entirely. Not at all actually. The outside's scorched but that's it. The fire department got there pretty quickly to put it out."

"Why did Henry think Malachi would care if the Red Pony was gone?"

"Malachi's been strong arming Henry to try to get him to sell the bar to him. Henry thinks he wants to use it to launder money."

"That's messed up."

"Yeah. He thought it was the one thing he could dangle in front of Malachi to get him to tell the truth about Darius. The worst of it is, when Malachi finally opened his mouth, it wasn't good news that came out of it. Darius wasn't in Denver that night. He was in another state. Cady's already confirmed it."

"So the whole Darius thing is a dead end." She shakes her head, "That must have been Henry's last hope. He never would have risked the Red Pony otherwise. What did Walt say about it?"

"Nothing to me. I didn't get a chance to talk to him much and then he got that phone call."

"Phone call?"

"Yeah, Jacob Nighthorse called about 45 minutes ago wanting to talk to Walt. I lost track of him after that. He was gone by the time I left to head back here."

"He didn't tell you where he was going?"

"No. After I gave him my phone to talk to Nighthorse, I went back to trying to secure the scene. By the time the gawkers had all been sent on their way and the firefighters has finished, Walt was gone. I found my cell on the front seat of my car."

"Shit."

"We could try to get him on the radio, see where he is."

"That's only if he's answering."

Vic knows Walt has no problem ignoring or turning off the radio if he is so inclined.

"It's worth a shot."

She can't argue with that. She has no idea where to start looking for Walt and the last thing she wants to do is hear the smugness in Nighthorse's voice if she were to call to see what he knows. It would give him too much pleasure and she isn't in the business of bringing Jacob Nighthorse pleasure. No. They would just have to figure out where Walt went on their own. Before she can decide on where to look for him first her phone rings. She's quick to pick it up, hoping it holds the answer to his whereabouts, "Walt?"

"No, it's me."

Her heart drops when she realizes the voice at the other end of the line doesn't belong to the sheriff.

"Who is this?"

"Come on, Vic, you're breaking my heart."

She's not in the mood for guessing games, "Look shithead, I don't have time for this. Tell me who you are now or I'll come arrest your ass when I finally figure it out."

"Easy girl, it's Travis."

"What do you want? I'm in the middle of something."

"It's Branch. I told your boss he needed to do something about him."

"What did he do?" Walt told her this afternoon that Barlow had come to pick up Branch. She'd assumed daddy had taken him home to straighten him out.

"He's completely lost it! He just barged into the garage and pointed a big ass shotgun at my chest. He's pretty pissed off."

"Shit." Barlow hadn't done a very good job keeping track of his wayward son.

"He said he was going to tie up some loose ends. Then he took my car and left. I wanted to warn you that he may be headed your way."

"Thanks, Travis." She hangs up the phone, fills Ferg in on what Travis said and grabs her duty jacket, "I'm going to go look for Walt. Branch could go after him just as easily as he'd go after me."

Ferg grabs her arm, "No."

She looks at him pointedly, "You'd better let go if you want to keep that hand attached to the rest of you."

Ferg knows Vic doesn't like answering to anyone but Walt and she doesn't always like answering to him. On a normal day it would be almost impossible for anyone else to get her to do something she doesn't want to do. Ferg knows he's certainly not high on her list of authority figures but he's the only other person here. He's still feeling the sting of Walt's big boy desk comment from this morning, but he knows he can handle this situation and get her to listen to reason. He just needs to prove it to himself and everyone else.

"Vic, think about it. You have no idea where to start looking for Walt. It's dark. Visibility is next to nothing out there so finding him's going to be almost impossible without any leads. Besides, you said it yourself; Branch is crazy. For all we know, he's sitting downstairs right now just waiting for you to walk out these doors so he can finish what he started earlier today."

"I'm not scared of Branch Connelly."

"Of course, you're not. But Vic this isn't just Branch and his usual antics. He's snapped and we don't know who he may have recruited to take down that road with him. Travis is easily manipulated but he never wanted to hurt that guy they kidnapped. This time Branch could have found an accomplice much worse: someone who actually enjoys causing people pain. We don't know what he may be capable of. Do you think that's a risk you should take right now?"

Vic's pause encourages Ferg to continue and he decides to hold nothing back, "Think about Walt, Vic? How would he handle it if something happened to you? You didn't see his reaction this afternoon when he came back and found out you were out there somewhere and didn't know that Branch was on the loose, probably looking for you...He was more than concerned, Vic...He was scared...I could see it in his eyes... After the way Branch attacked you, the last place Walt would want you to be right now is out on the streets alone. Not until Branch is no longer a threat."

Vic's freaked out and exhilarated at the same time. She hates that Walt was worried about her. He has enough on his plate right now without adding to it. At the same time, the girl inside of her is a little giddy that he wants to keep her safe. Of course, Walt would want that for any of his deputies. Concern doesn't necessarily mean anything. She hates the unsure and vulnerable feeling that is running through her body. It's not in her nature to hide but Ferg is right. Branch is unpredictable right now and unpredictable is dangerous. Walt would be pissed if she put herself at risk by going to look for him right now even though he would and has already done the same for her. She knows If she were to get hurt while doing it, he would never forgive himself. She sighs and reluctantly agrees to stay put, "Okay, I'll stay here for now."

"Okay then." Ferg lets go of Vic's arm as she glances at the open blinds in the windows. She's suddenly aware that anyone outside has a clear view into the station. She feels like a big shiny target. Ferg follows her eyes and has the same realization, "Walt's office?"

"Yeah."

He walks to the door with her, "Lock the door in case Branch comes in trying to find you. I'll see if I can get Walt on the radio and we'll go from there.

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**Thanks for reading. I have not abandoned _In my arms_, I'm just running up against some walls with that particular story. I will get back to it when I can. Life has been super busy and I haven't had a chance to even read any stories for at least two weeks, probably longer, much less have I had sufficient time to write. I need some vacation time to catch up on my fanfic!**


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